Science
(2008-11-13)
A note (L) is placed under a candle during an AIDS International Candlelight Memorial in Belgrade
A new report says an increasing number of countries worldwide are making spreading HIV a crime.
According to Planned Parenthood, 58 countries have laws that criminalize HIV or use existing laws to prosecute people for transmitting the virus. Another 33 countries are considering similar legislation.
Many health officials fear the trend could undermine gains made in fighting the AIDS pandemic and provoke a surge in cases. One international AIDS expert says the laws could result in forced testing and drive the epidemic underground as people hide their HIV status, allowing the virus to spread unnoticed.
Globally, about 33 million people are thought to have HIV and nearly 3 million people are newly infected every year. © Copyright 2012, Associated Press
